Previewing Ocean Sciences 2006, Honolulu

There is a really good reason to hold a major oceanography meeting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and it has nothing to do with the latitude. Holding it in February does happen to be an agreeable piece of scheduling, however. Back in Woods Hole, snow blankets the Clark building. (Hugh Powell, WHOI)

Welcome back! Last time you tuned in, we were being swarmed by deep-creeping earthquakes at the American Geophysical Union fall meeting in San Francisco, California. This time, we'll be reporting from the Ocean Sciences 2006 meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Just as the AGU meeting is the premier forum for geologists to talk about their research, its sister meeting, Ocean Sciences, holds the same kind of appeal for marine biologists, ecologists, chemists and physical oceanographers.

Next week, more than 200 WHOI staff and graduate students will brave the balmy trade winds, drooping palm trees and misdirected laser pointers to present their research in Honolulu. Along with reporter David Fisichella, I’ll be on hand to file reports on some of the interesting stories.